2013 Volvo V40

This new Swedish five-door incorporates a pedestrian airbag.

Just days ahead of an official reveal in Geneva, Volvo has gone public with photos, video, and a smattering of details regarding its new V40 hatchback. It’s still not slated for sale in the U.S., which we think is a shame; with Saab’s recent faceplant, Scandinavian options for American buyers are rapidly dwindling.

Get Up and Go, but Drive Safe

Engine choices will range from a low-emissions diesel to a 254-hp version of the T5 turbo gasoline engine; no further lineup insights were provided. The company does say, however, that all engines will feature engine stop/start technology and brake-energy regeneration. Volvo quotes a 0-to-62-mph time of 6.7 seconds with the aforementioned T5. In a recent comparison test, the less-powerful 2012 Ford Focus SEL and Mazda 3 s Sport (the V40 shares architectural heritage with both) clocked respective 0-to-60 runs of 7.6 and 7.4 seconds, so Volvo’s number seems viable. Manual and automatic gearboxes are promised, but they haven’t yet been detailed.

Safety, a longtime Volvo hallmark, is a key focus of the V40, and it will feature lane-keeping assist with steering feedback and Volvo’s Pedestrian Detection with full auto brake. Making its debut on the V40 is the world’s first pedestrian airbag, a well-intentioned safety device that is surely destined for YouTube infamy once it finds its way into the hands of hooligans. It deploys from the base of the windshield if a pedestrian collision is imminent, covering the hood and a portion of the windshield and A-pillars. The idea is to prevent the unfortunate soul’s head from whacking the aforementioned hard stuff.

It’s All About You

Volvo is calling the V40 the first new model fully developed according to its human-centric, “Designed Around You” strategy. While we can’t comment on Volvo’s verbose initiative without sampling it in the first person, the photos appear to show an interior luxurious enough to merit consideration by those looking at an Audi A3 or a BMW 1-series. It still retains some Volvo identity in the geometric shapes of the dash and interior graphics. We think the exterior is handsome, perhaps because it reminds us a little of a Focus hatch wearing an S60 costume.

Initial projections peg 85 percent of the V40’s anticipated 90,000-unit annual production being sold in Europe. The car will be built in Volvo's plant in Ghent, Belgium, beginning in May.